FUNDING for vital crime prevention work - including CCTV cameras, street lighting and tackling gangs - has been slashed by 60 per cent in just two years across the region.

Labour said the deep cuts to the 'community safety fund' (CSF) showed ministers had "turned their backs on the fight against crime" - warning further reductions were on the way.

And they warned that new elected police chiefs - who will take over responsibility for the fund next year - had been undermined even before they started work.

Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: "Theresa May [the Home Secretary] is setting police and crime commissioners (PCCs) up because she wants them to take the flack for her mess."

The row blew up after Labour uncovered figures revealing the CSF - run by community safety partnerships of local councils and police forces - had shrunk by 60 per cent between 2010-11 and this financial year.

Partnerships in Durham received a total of £904,696 two years ago, but only £365,103 in 2012-13 - a cut of £539,593, the statistics showed.

There were cuts of identical proportions in Cleveland (£633,497), North Yorkshire (£551,819), Northumbria (£1.21m) and across England and Wales.Meanwhile, no budget has been announced for crime prevention spending from next April, prompting Labour to claim that further cuts are looming.

Ms Cooper added: "Street lighting, action on gangs, CCTV plans, youth services and community safety projects are all being hit - making it much harder for the police and communities to prevent crime.

"And the government won't even admit, until after the police and crime commissioner elections, what funding will be for crime prevention in future.

"Theresa May and David Cameron need to come clean about the next wave of cuts to crime prevention before the November elections - rather than conning the electorate and the new commissioners."

Peter Thompson, chairman of Durham Police Authority, said: “Crime prevention and community safety is a principle focus for the police authority.

"We have been aware for some time that the grant regime coming from the Government was going to be reduced. That’s been a source of concern and consternation.

"Clearly if there’s less funding from the centre, it’s going to be more difficult for partners to work cohesively together, with a reduced funding regime. We are worried about that.

"It’s a question of getting round the table to see how we can best deliver the service. We work together to deliver the best package we can but it becomes increasingly difficult when those budgets are being cut.

"It’s nothing new – we’re expected to deliver more for less. As much as we make representations to the Government, it determines what the funding is.”

The Home Office was asked to comment on the cuts, and the uncertainty about budgets for next April and beyond, but declined to do so.

However, in a letter to chief constables - which acknowledged the 60 per cent cut - it said PCCs would also control other funding streams, including drug interventions programme grants.

The letter read: "Effective community safety partnerships play a crucial role in helping to tackle crime and reduce re-offending.

"It is essential for local agencies to work together to protect vulnerable people, provide better services for their communities and limit the impact of tightening public budgets."